Round Rock PD

[silverf0x]

Hi all,

I made a similar post (http://forums.radioreference.com/texas-radio-discussion-forum/257073-atx-scanning.html), so apologies for the duplicitous nature but I want to get to the heart of this:

I want to pick up RRPD transmissions on my Pro 96. They use APCO/P25 which my scanner supports, but I'm not getting anything yet. I have tried both my 800MHz antenna as well as the RS telescoping antenna. I used ARC96 with the following settings:
- State: Texas
- County: Williamson
- Trunk Systems: Greater Austin/Travis Regional Radio System (GATRRS) / Project 25

Under "Sites" I am checking the box for Williamson County Simulcast Channels
Under "Talkgroups" I am checking the boxes for only these TGs under "Williamson County - Round Rock"
- 4746 [RR PD CID 1]
- 4758 [RR PD N CMD] (north command?)
- 4759 [RR PD S CMD] (south command?)
- 4762 [RR PD SPECOP] (special operations?)
- 4763 [RR PD TAC 1]
- 4764 [RR PD TAC 2]
- 4765 [RR PD TAC 3]
- 4766 [RR PD TAC 4]
- 4767 [RR PD TAC 5]
- 4768 [RR PD TAC 6]
- 4769 [RR PD Secure] (I think this one is encrypted?)
- 4770 [RR Traffic 1] (it's traffic, not PD but still thought it would be useful/relate)

I can pick up other transmissions (mostly WilCo EMS dispatch, which is conventional anyway), and sometimes I'll get key-ups in other TGs, but as soon as someone starts to talk they cut out completely.

I would really really really appreciate some help with this. I'm very new to programming for trunking/digital so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong. Anyone have a successful setup that I can learn from?

Thanks!

 

[silverf0x]

Oh yeah, I also have all the checkboxes under the "Trunk Options" tab selected (import Primary, Alternate and All control channels). Just trying to cover my bases and get as many freqs covered as possible to ensure I'm doing all I can to pick up the transmissions.

Please note that everything is downloaded from the RRDB, so it should really just be about selecting the right options - right?

Thanks for any help!

 

[jhooten]

See if this helps:
http://forums.radioreference.com/ne...ile-scanner-recommendation-central-texas.html

 

[NC5267]

Last I heard from people up there They went encrypted which means you can't monitor anything. I don't think anyone has updated the database.

http://forums.radioreference.com/texas-radio-discussion-forum/232897-round-rock-pd.html

 

[silverf0x]

Thanks for the help jhooten. The RRDB shows that only Williamson Co. is encrypted, it would be a shame if the database is not accurate on this. On the forum link you provided, they also say this.

NC5267, yours is very helpful too. Like in that post, RRPD is just silent. On my Pro 96 I should still ear noise for encrypted transmissions.

 

[SCPD]

RRPD Tac 5 and 6 are encrypted. Based on call volume, we think these are the new dispatch channels - as of Feb or March of last year.

 

[silverf0x]

Thanks for the confirmation Unitrunker.

 

[silverf0x]

To close out my post...

I found this post on the "CenTexComm · Central Texas Comm Scanner Group My Groups" yahoo group by trebor1159: Yahoo! Groups

It says: "Yes, most all of Williamson County transmissions are encrypted. Including Sheriff, EMS, City of Georgetown and Round Rock, and Leander and Cedar Park.

There are a few fire talkgroups that are not encrypted and Cedar Park and Round Rock have a few talkgroups that are not encrypted but all the dispatch ones are.

Don’t forget that there is some simplex stuff to monitor too: like 462.975 Williamson County EMS Dispatch and 856.2125 for Round Rock Fire Dispatch"

I also read in that group that Round Rock turned on encryption the first week of February in 2012, and Pflugerville followed a few months later.

Bummer.

 

[jhooten]

Does the PRO-96 need to be software updated for rebanding?

 

[hiegtx]

Does the PRO-96 need to be software updated for rebanding?

On a P25 system, like GATRRS, it should get the table information from the control channel. However, on a Motorola Type II system, such as the older TxWARN, you'd have to use software to enter the custom tables. They can't be entered through the keyboard alone, like on the Pro-106 or PSR-500.

 

[W5TWX]

Here's my other response on your other posting. Your 96 isn't going to pick up encryption. There are no scanners made that will hear encryption.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Williamson Co. Sheriff, GTPD, GTFD, RRPD, CPPD are all encrypted and have been for about a year. You can still hear RRFD, Taylor FD, EMS to area hospitals, and DPS and that's about all you will hear other than road crews, city and county utilities.

 

[silverf0x]

What will I hear on my Pro 96 when I come across an encrypted transmission? Will it be static, garbled talking, or nothing at all?

 

[Ensnared]

Round Rock Locked Up

To close out my post...

I found this post on the "CenTexComm · Central Texas Comm Scanner Group My Groups" yahoo group by trebor1159: Yahoo! Groups

It says: "Yes, most all of Williamson County transmissions are encrypted. Including Sheriff, EMS, City of Georgetown and Round Rock, and Leander and Cedar Park.

There are a few fire talkgroups that are not encrypted and Cedar Park and Round Rock have a few talkgroups that are not encrypted but all the dispatch ones are.

Don’t forget that there is some simplex stuff to monitor too: like 462.975 Williamson County EMS Dispatch and 856.2125 for Round Rock Fire Dispatch"

I also read in that group that Round Rock turned on encryption the first week of February in 2012, and Pflugerville followed a few months later.

Bummer.[/QUOTES

Since I've not been in the Round Rock area, I cannot attest to the presence or absence of encryption. However, reliable sources have indicated that Round Rock is locked up tight with encryption.

When I looked at the RR DB for GATRRS, it still showed an absence of "E" in the mode column for all of the TG's except a few.

I suppose someone needs to submit a submission to RR to have this updated.

 

[silverf0x]

Yup. I bought the wrong scanner based on the data in the RRDB.

 

[Ensnared]

Wrong Scanner

Yup. I bought the wrong scanner based on the data in the RRDB.

Well, I don't think you bought the wrong radio. It is just a matter of acceptance, really. I would hate to live where it was locked down like that, but there is no scanner capable of listening to encryption. If this were possible, you would still have to contend with federal law.

If you live in Round Rock, I would consider finding a way to mount an outside antenna in order to pull in action from Austin/Travis County. Their TG's are pretty open. I don't know how well an outside antenna would work with the various sites. Some people have to attenuate their signals near Austin.

Do you have DPS loaded? There are other systems to hear. I would surely review the aforementioned Central Texas Yahoo group. There are also Federal frequencies that are active within the Austin area.

 

[W5TWX]

What I posted above is all your going to hear in Round Rock. If youy want to hear Austin, then you can gwt them in Round Rock. I've been listening for over 36 years, every day and night.

On both my scanners that run almost 24/7, I do not hear anything on the encrypted channels. Total silence. I used to hear a annoying noise, but not anymore.

You didn't buy the wrong scanner for listening to RRPD. You cannot hear them at all with any scanner. Your are very limited as to what you can listen to hear. RRFD, DPS, EMS to area hospitals, Taylor FD. road crews, city and county utilities. THAT'S ALL YOUR GOING TO HEAR.......

 

[texasemt13]

What will I hear on my Pro 96 when I come across an encrypted transmission? Will it be static, garbled talking, or nothing at all?

You can listen to encryption sound samples here at w2sjw's page. AES is a little ways down.

 

[silverf0x]

Sorry guys, let me clarify: I already have a Uniden BC246T which I am fine with, even without digital support. I got a RS Pro 96 specifically so I can listen to RRPD. I made this decision based on the data in the RRDB, which represented that only Williamson County Sheriff was encrypted. Had it accurately stated that RRPD and all other PDs in WilCo area were encrypted, I would not have made the purchase (I have very little interest in picking up Travis/APD.).

I also became a premium subscriber because I believe in supporting sites like this and also so I can link to the site with the scanner software to pulldown the data.

So yes, I purchased the wrong scanner because the data on the site is inaccurate. I'm not terribly upset, I can sell the Pro 96 and recover (most of) my money (it's on CL now for anyone interested).

Am I expecting too much in asking that year-old data on this website is accurate? I'm not being facetious, I'd really like to know so my expectations are accurate.

 

[silverf0x]

texasemt13 - yes, that is exactly what I was hearing regarding the garbled voices. Thanks for confirming!

 

[texasemt13]

Unless someone submits specifically what is encrypted, as a formal submission to our database, the administrators cannot keep up with what happens. It's not an excuse, just a reality.

I'm not an administrator for your area, but if someone would make a formal submission of the talkgroups that are full-time encrypted, I can guarantee the submission will get worked.

Thanks for y'all's understanding.